CSPC: Pink Floyd Popularity Analysis

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Original Albums Sales

The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)

America
- US – 21,800,000
- Canada – 2,575,000
- Argentina – 450,000
- Brazil – 600,000
- Mexico – N/A
Asia – 1,485,000
- Japan – 850,000
Oceania
- Australia – 1,080,000
- New Zealand – 255,000
Europe – 13,500,000
- UK – 3,725,000
- France – 1,725,000
- Germany – 1,900,000
- Italy – 2,000,000
- Spain – 600,000
- Sweden – 275,000
- Netherlands – 450,000
- Switzerland – N/A
- Austria – 200,000
- Finland – N/A
World – 43,300,000

NB: N/A means no specific number is available. Sales from the country are still accounted for in the Worldwide estimate by using figure patterns of both the artist and the country market. Countries not displayed in this fixed panel are factored in also.

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Matrix

5 months ago

Pink Floyd are the one of two artists to have two 50+ million albums each. The another one is Michael Jackson.

Matrix

8 months ago

Pink Floyd released 2011 box set ‘Discovery’. 16 discs. Why it isn’t included here? Or it’s just my mistake and I can’t found it…

Editor

Martin

8 months ago

Reply to Matrix

No, you are correct Matrix. It seems to have been overlooked, as I can’t see it placed in any section of the analysis.

Author

MJD

8 months ago

Reply to Martin

Yep, you are both correct, the box doesn’t explicitely appears! Back then without Discogs we weren’t as precise as we are now while describing a discography. For these career-spanning boxes, when they got big enough to be certified on their own they were listed, elsewhere I simply used to add their sales directly into the individual albums, same as I did for 2/3 CD packs. If newly updated, I would definitely list everything clearly so that there is no ambiguity left.

Matrix

1 year ago

You didn’t added Zabriskie Point soundtrack in the Pink Floyd CSPC, but on the other hand you added a lot of Zabriskie Point soundtrack songs in the Pink Floyd streaming list(Streaming Part 7). A bit weird, isn’t it?

Martin

1 year ago

Reply to Matrix

The album is not a Floyd album but the songs are Floyd songs.

Matrix

1 year ago

Reply to Martin

Here on the Neptune the Zabriskie Point soundtrack is considered as Pink Floyd album. It was released under the name ”The Dark Side of the Zabriskie Point”. 🙂

-3

XSWL

1 year ago

Where did you get the 2m figure for TDSOTM in Italy?

Author

MJD

1 year ago

Reply to XSWL

Hi XSWL! It’s a patchwork of various official data and calculation methods to fill in the holes. We know that: – it topped the million mark during the year 1989 as confirmed by Billboard back then – it shipped 100,000 copies during the year 2003 (M&D) – it sold at retail over 225,000 since 2009 (FIMI) From charts (weekly and annual), it was also routinely selling from 25,000 to 50,000 units a year from 2004 to 2008. That puts it on 1,5 million in total for years 1973-1989+2003-2018. Then the largest years (by far) for Italian market are still missing,… Read more »

Lorrane

2 years ago

Do you have Pink Floyd Numbers in Norway? I wonder who sold more in Norway: Bruce Springsteen or Pink Floyd

Lance

2 years ago

I don’t see specific mention for the Experience and Immersion sets for Dark Side, Wish You Were Here and The Wall. Seemed these each sold relatively well on Amazon when they came out, and thought the might show up in the box set section. Are these numbers accounted for somewhere in the total? If so, is there a specific breakout somewhere for these extended sets of these albums. I’m always been curious how well these sets sold. Thanks.

Author

MJD

2 years ago

Reply to Lance

Hi Lance! These sets have been merged into their certifications / chart runs by most official sources so we did the same too. As time goes, we have been more and more careful about detailing everything when it is possible, so we may do it for these packages when we update the article in the future!

Rell

2 years ago

Oh I see. I thought Elton sang the whole soundtrack, nevermind. Obviously, only his songs should be taken into account.

QueenBarbra

2 years ago

Reply to Rell

Exclude CYFTLT, I perform her songs’s voices version in the film

Rell

2 years ago

At the end of the day, the songs people listen to when they give the Lion King soundtrack a listen are Elton John’s songs anyway, aren’t they ? I mean, whether they intend to listen to an artist or not shouldn’t matter as long they listen to their songs …

Author

MJD

2 years ago

Reply to Rell

Hi Rell! People was definitely not listening to Elton John while playing the Soundtrack! Actually, the version from English-speaking countries is the only one which includes his version of Circle of Life and I Just Can’t Wait To Be King, local versions from France, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy, etc, all had locally translated versions of these songs, excluding the ones of Elton. Incredibly enough, even in English-speaking countries his versions aren’t the most popular ones. His rendering of Circle of Life has 19 million streams while the one of Carmen Twellie has 56 million! His version of I Just Can’t… Read more »

Daydreamer

2 years ago

Reply to MJD

It’s interesting because of I remember MTV played video for the ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’ with Elton all the frigin time in the few months!

Martin

2 years ago

Reply to MJD

I feel for sake of argument, why not provide the figures for soundtracks, charity singles etc show the figures but enter caveats.

On a similar but slightly different note, I don’t think Wham/GM or Beyonce/DC should be merged.

Daydreamer

2 years ago

Reply to Martin

Destiny’s Child and Beyonce are not merged.

Author

MJD

2 years ago

Reply to Martin

Hi Martin! Figures of Candle in the Wind will still be provided inside the article. The Lion King figure isn’t since as I explained Elton only sings 1 to 3 songs maximum on it and searching on Spotify and YouTube for all streams of all its songs in all local versions takes an awful lot of time. Maybe even more importantly, this Soundtrack is big enough to justify a stand-alone article in the future. As mentioned by Daydreamer, Beyoncé / DC aren’t merged into totals. For Wham / GM, they are, since Wham was almost only GM and their albums… Read more »

Daydreamer

2 years ago

Reply to MJD

Is not Careless Whisper co-written by GM’s bandmate Andrew Ridgeley as well?

Author

MJD

2 years ago

Reply to Daydreamer

Hi Daydreamer!

Careless Whisper is one of the very first songs they have written when they were teenagers, so indeed the process was less professional and they made the song mostly together, although it seems this was more about GM since they are his memories. The participation of Ridgeley in the composition is the only reason why it appears on a Wham album as he doesn’t sing nor play an instrument on it! The single was credited to GM only.

QueenBarbra

2 years ago

Reply to MJD

Could I ask when.the article will come. I cant wait to read your newone great analysis, especially Bestseller artist like Elton

Author

MJD

2 years ago

Reply to QueenBarbra

In a couple of hours at most 😉

Daydreamer

2 years ago

MJD, What’s your take on the album “Zabriskie Point” ? It’s a soundtrack album originally released in the 1970. Pink Floyd contributied to the album with the four songs (+ 3 more PF songs on the bonus disc released 1997). This album maybe belongs to the Pink Floyd CSPC discography as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabriskie_Point_(album)

Author

MJD

2 years ago

Reply to Daydreamer

Hi Daydreamer! The more it goes the least I’m tented to include Soundtracks into artists’ discographies. Unless the Soundtrack is promoted as a new album of the artist, with her name in the cover as big as the movie title, it doesn’t belong to the discography of an artist. When I say it evolves that way for me is that the most I study different artists, the most I notice how their soundtracks do not fit at all inside their discography. We have been talking about Elton John lately – except GYBR, which is by far his top catalog seller… Read more »

Daydreamer

2 years ago

Reply to MJD

I understand you, and I’m inclined to agree with you on this MJD. p.s: as side note, when you wrote this ….”with her name in the cover as big as the movie title…” I just remember an interesting story about the Pink Floyd album sales, I read some years ago. The Pink Floyd albums Atom Herat Mother, Meddle and Obscured By The Clouds were all originaly released without a band name, or the album titles on the front cover. It contributed to much less album sales. Meny people att that time simply just didn’t notice it was a new Pink… Read more »

Pelvis

2 years ago

Hi MJD !!!

I do not see the image or cover of the album Ummagumma is not visible, it is written “afficher l’image d’origine”.

All 165 Pink Floyd Songs Ranked, From Worst to Best | News89 Technology news, business news

2 years ago

[…] rebought copies of it on CD — and has sole about 23 million copies in a U.S. to date. Worldwide, a sum is 43 million, creation it a second-largest offering manuscript of all time, after […]

Brian Waters

2 years ago

Hi MJD

Your article about Pink Floyd is so majestic, wonderful, pyrotechnic like their albums and rheir discography as Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall.
I noticed from yesterday that the image or cover of the album Meddle is not visible, it is written “afficher l’image d’origine”.
Can you solve it please ?

Daydreamer

2 years ago

Hi MJD

Maybe I’m wrong, but I think you forgot this rare physical single by Pink Floyd: PINK FLOYD Tonite Let’s All Make Love In London, http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1450

PINK FLOYD Tonite Let’s All Make Love In London
1. Interstellar Overdrive (16:46) Instrumental
2. Nick’s Boogie (11:50) Instrumental

Author

MJD

2 years ago

Reply to Daydreamer

Hi Daydreamer!

This is a promo single meaning no copy was commercially sold!

Daydreamer

2 years ago

Reply to MJD

Thank you for clearing that up MJD. I thought it was an official PF single.

Mau89

2 years ago

Hi dear MJD!

Could you pleasee post the album sales per country for Pink Floyd and The Beatles( wich i already asked you for)

Thanks in advance!

Mau89

2 years ago

Reply to Mau89

My bad i missed the page!

Please do the beatles sales per country !

Lance

2 years ago

Also, if you look at your US totals, double count Ummagumma, The Wall, the three live albums and the Echos, best of Album, like RIAA does, that puts Pink Floyd well over a 100 million US sales. I think RIAA has certified only around 70 million. Is EMI this far behind on certification? I’ve known for some time Dark Side of the moon at 15 million was way off. Didn’t know it was this way off. Are there any other bands that are this far off from their RIAA Certs? Seems Pink Floyd might be the most off.

Thanks again.

Author

MJD

2 years ago

Reply to Lance

Hi Lance!

Yes, Pink Floyd’s albums sales are largely deflated by their RIAA certifications. Their label hasn’t been caring about certifications for 20 years, just like for the Beatles. At least the latter band sold well with new releases in the meantime like One or Love, so a good chunk of their sales since 20 years are awarded. For that reason Floyd are indeed likely the group with the RIAA total the most outdated of all.

Lance

2 years ago

This is one of the greatest websites on album sales I’ve ever found. Your research is impeccable, and very easy to follow. Your analysis is very believable. This is a wonderful way to compare all these different artists. I’m a huge Pink Floyd fan and I’ve been looking for years to try to find some accurate data on Pink Floyd’s world wide album sales, and with the exception of Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall, there is very little good information out there. And seeing claims that bands like Queen and ABBA sold 350 million albums each just… Read more »

Joe Guerrino

3 years ago

You have a really awesome sight! Maybe sometime you could do an analysis of Creedence. Thanks!

Author

MJD

3 years ago

Reply to Joe Guerrino

Hi Joe!

From a personal perspective, I would love to work on CCR, but I must admit I may miss time in the near future as the pipe is full of several more artists! Thanks for the very nice words 🙂

Archi

3 years ago

Thank you Martin. I see, it is a little bit tricky when it comes to TGS.

Archi

3 years ago

Is The Wall the best selling double album of all time?

Martin

3 years ago

Reply to Archi

The Grease Soundtrack has shipped more copies than The Wall but I’m not sure how you would class TGS. It started life as a double LP and single cassette release but has since been issued as a 1 CD release and then a 2 CD. Incidentally, I have The Wall and it’s a single cassette release.

Daydreamer

3 years ago

Thanks Martin